How Kelly Fairweather of the Selkie is feeding the people of Dundee for free

She will offer a meal to anyone who needs one. Her guests span the elderly seeking a weekly outing to farming families between seasons and households that are feeling the strain of rising everyday costs. Her attitude has been formed by childhood experiences of food poverty, and social and economic isolation. She says: “I believe that God gave me my gift of being able to make food taste good regardless [so] I just thought, we’ll take what we have, and we’ll make it into something.”

Keeping it simple is key: a bowl of carrot and coriander soup, a hunk of bread and some ‘school cake’ can be produced for less than £1 per portion. Regardless, of whether people pay or not, “when plates come back clear, we’re buzzing”.

Fairweather frequently works 90-hour weeks and now owns three restaurants in Dundee, having opened the Ferry Selkie in 2022 and Sol y Sombra in Dundee’s upmarket Broughty Ferry in 2024. All three participate in her schemes which, to date, have given out more than 12,000 meals.

Zero-waste fridge tapas

Profit is clearly not Fairweather’s motive, but funds are needed to pay for her programmes. She receives donations directly from customers, who put anything up to £50 into the funding pot that sits by the till. “That’s actually 100 portions of soup, right?” she says. Other acts of generosity include a £1,000 cheque from a local man (“I don’t even know who he is”), and a mother who donated £390 from her son’s funeral collection after he had used the service. The club is also supported by farmers and a community garden, who drop off surplus produce. “But we make it very clear we’re not relying on donations,” she says.

Paid monthly brunches provide a steady income stream and typically draw 40-65 guests, who pay £75 to £90 a ticket. The events combine food, drinks and entertainment, from DJs to magicians, with £5 from every ticket channelled into her community kitchen.

Fairweather makes her money work hard, but her produce works harder: “We run our business based on zero waste. Our waste is less than 1% because [we use] what my Nana would call fridge tapas. Whatever we’ve got, that’s what we’re offering.”

She also keeps costs low elsewhere with a stable team that has remained unchanged since opening – the same head chef, the same KPs and, apart from seasonal student workers, the same rota of staff; a reflection of the open, welcoming and friendly working environment she maintains.

To Fairweather, her endeavours are not remarkable. Rather, she sees it as her way of giving back to those in need: “I’ve been there. I grew up hungry. My mum just didn’t cope very well with mothering, and when I was born, my dad was in prison, so things were hard and I didn’t want people to be hungry.”

To her, hospitality is a powerful connector that can offer support when it’s needed most. As she points out: “If you’ve got veg and stock, you can be hospitable to anyone.”

“That’s what this is about – human connection,” she stresses. “Hospitality is about people. You provide shelter. You provide food. You provide warmth. Your servers are smiling, they’re happy – and in that moment, you’re part of something and somewhere.”

Vote for the Selkie to win a Catey

For the 2026 Cateys, an award will be won by public vote for the first time. The newly introduced This is Hospitality award, part of our This is Hospitality campaign, celebrates businesses like the Selkie for showcasing the industry as a force for good and one with far-reaching positive effects.

You can read about all the other businesses in the running for the award, and make your vote.

The Cateys will take place on 7 July at JW Marriott Grosvenor House London, where the This is Hospitality award winner will be announced. Book your seat now